This invention relates to article carriers and more particularly to those fashioned from paperboard. The art is already aware of two pack article carriers fashioned from paperboard or other stiff, resilient and foldable material, such constructions shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,543,821 issued to Arneson and U.S. Pat. No. 2,821,328 issued to Ramsay. In such known constructions, a single blank of paperboard is cut, folded, and erected to form a generally rectangular basket like structure, with the bottom of the basket preferably having an automatically formed bottom so that when erected or set up from a flattened storage configuration, the carrier bottom will automatically be formed. A handle is positioned above the carrier and is integrally joined to both the sidewalls. The handle is of double thickness paperboard and may include one or more apertures for fingers. The handle also functions as a divider between two bottles or cans placed at opposite ends of the generally rectangular basket.
While serving their intended purpose, the constructions of the noted Arnesen and Ramsay patents are not particularly suited for modular use. Tandem carrier constructions wherein two identical carriers can be glued together are known, such as may be seen by reference to Manizza U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,709 and Hotton U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,126. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,919 issued to Pelt shows a composite or tandem article carrier of paperboard wherein two similar but not identical two pack carriers can be joined together. In Pelt one of the two carriers is provided with a tab and wings for coupling to the other carrier. A staple may also be employed. While capable of conversion from a two pack to a four pack carrier, the Pelt construction requires two different blanks, one for one carrier and another for the other carrier.
The prior art thus lacks a two pack carrier which can be coupled to another identical carrier to form a four pack carrier.